106 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

I forgot to show the stop for the front end. It's just a 2-56 cap screw and an axle spacer:

 

 

The body mount pin tubes have to extend 3/32" past the rectangular tube:

 

 

I added another piece of pin tube for the side of the body to rest against just like I would on a jail door chassis:

 

 

Ready to poke some pin holes in that beastly body:

 

 

Done:

 

 

A side view showing the chassis hanging below the body. 1966 tires were sure BIG:

 

 

About 1/8" of the chassis ended up below the body. The body is about the same height above the track as the real car would be:

 

 

 

[Isaac S.]

So cool, the comparison of size between the body and motor shows you how massive it is. 

[dc-65x]

The first track test. The track was clean and dry, wiped down with naphtha. The power supply is set to 12 volts.

 

It literally shredded the rear tires.    I've never experienced this before.

 

 

 

 

This car really is a BEAST!     

 

The tires are Canadian Paul Gage's Slot Car Shop XPG compound. He also has a firmer compound.

 

I need to try some different tires:

 

Fresh vintage 40mm "Germans"

 

Vintage Riggen, MDC, AJ's and Buzco silicones

 

Ortmann's

 

French SlotCar Tyres

 

On the track I can feel that the motor has brakes. When a motor doesn't it has a sick feeling as it coasts along. This car is trying to stop but it's shear mass makes one have to let off the power sooner than is ideal.

 

It weighs almost 10 ounces (268 grams):

 

 

The car never tries to lift the guide out of the slot. It's planted down now matter how much you over drive it. I'll have an axle flat for the gear but I'll have to add them for the rear wheels too. I can't keep them from twisting on the axe. 

 

This beast is not at it's best on my short track.......which is not a surprise really. It's almost scarily hypnotizing watching the car amazing acceleration. I want to just keep going to see it's real top speed. The car has so much power it feels like it's just getting started by the end of my straight. I'd love to drive this thing on a Blue King. 

 

Here's my best lap time on burned up tires:

 

 

Tire testing is next..........

[don.siegel]

Scary! 10 oz, eh? 

 

Would a higher numerical gear ratio be better for your track? Candies usually work pretty well for high-powered cars. 

 

Do you have the French tires in stock? I don't know if I announced it here, but the owner, Bruno, passed away unexpectedly last year, and I don't think anybody has taken over the business... 

 

Don 

[Slot Car Rod]

Remember when I mentioned trying German tires?

[dc-65x]

Don, I don't have a bevel gear set for 1/8" motor shafts in a higher numerical ratio than the 3:1 set on the car. I'm not sure if there is a strong enough conventional vintage crown/pinion gear set available. Even if there is I think I'll keep it geared for a full size track in the hopes I can drive it on one someday.

 

I knew the French tire website was down for a "family illness". I'm sorry to here of the owners passing. I'll have to be frugal with the tires I have left.

 

"Germans" are always in my playbook with the early cars Rodney:  

 

[don.siegel]

Good point about the 1/8" shaft gear ratios Rick - I'll take a look, whether you want them or not, because now I'm curious! 

 

Don 

 

PS: well, that was quick and easy! I have exactly one set of bevels with a 1/8" pinion shaft and it's 2-1/2:1 ... I may have a pinion somewhere in a spares drawer, but that's about it. 

[dc-65x]

For my second track test I tried these vintage silicones:

 

 

From the slowest lap time to the fastest:

 

 

 

 

The MDC silicone's time in the 4.8's is on par with all but the fastest car I show in my "Track test lap times" thread.

This car is no slouch and I bet it would kick all their butts on a big track.

 

The bad thing about the silicones is they seem to quickly "go off" after a few laps. They corner great but after those first couple of laps they start spinning all the way down the straight.......not good.

 

Next I'll try the firmer compound of Paul's urethane Cox Firestones and some fresh cut 40mm "Germans".........

[Isaac S.]

Wow, now I know where all Germans went. But, I do agree with Rod. Germans are the way to go. They work great with heavy and powerful cars. I think they look better than modern urethanes anyway. 

[Pablo]

Maybe you need a choke on your controller - that thing is ruining a lot of tires        I love it     

[Isaac S.]

P.S. the "spinning down the straight" is why people coated sponge tires with silicone. You kinda get the best of both worlds. 

[don.siegel]

Good stuff Rick - never knew that MDC made silicones! 

 

As you know sillies are sensitive to dust - what's your track room like? 

 

Don 

[Martin]

If I know Rick, there is no dust allowed. Even the cats get vacuumed   

[dc-65x]

Hi Isaac,

 

I've been acquiring "Germans" for a lot of years. I have so many because I pretty much stopped using them when the urethane repops of vintage rubber tires came along.

In my personal experience the Germans will dry out, crack and become useless on the track just like foam tires........although it will take longer for them to deteriorate.

 

The modern urethane repops will lap a bit faster on a dry track and don't seem to deteriorate. I particularly like the look of Ortmann repop  Russkit Dunlops and the Paul's repops of 

K&B Goodyear Stock Car Specials and Cox Firestones used on their Chaparrals.

 

So for me, the urethane tires work better, look better and last longer than Germans. That said, there are some builds that to me just scream "USE GERMANS" like my 1/32 scale Slingshot Dragster:

 

 

If you need some Germans for a project Isaac, just let me know.   

 

Don, my track room is my living room - dinning room in my house. Here it is before the track was installed:

 

 

There is "normal" accumulation of dust but those silicones are EXTREMELY sensitive. The urethanes much less so, but those MDC silicones are really cool looking.............

 

 

...........and they did produce the quickest lap time so far. I might just put them on the Beast but first I'm going to try the firmer compound of Pauls Cox Firestones.

 

I know if I glued my track and used foam tires I would get faster lap times but for now I'm keeping my track clean and dry to compare the older cars apples to apples.

 

 

[Bill from NH]

Rick, the first commercial tracks I ran on during 1967-69 were "silicone tires only." This was 6 or 8 raceways in Maine.  You're correct, a little dust on those tracks was like driving on ice. The home/club group I sometimes now run with has been using "urethanes only" for 5 or 6 years. This group has an oval, a Mini-orange road course, & a 1/8 mi. drag strip, all routed wood tracks. Past urethane compounds have deteriorated over time, but they don't usually "chunk" like a silicone or rapidly wear down like sponge.

[don.siegel]

That's curious Bill, I have some urethane tires I've been running for over 10 years, and I have yet to see any deterioration. They've been a godsend for vintage racing - when we started 20 odd years ago, traction was the biggest problem. 

 

Rick, I've got to ask: how did your wife accept the track being in the living/dining room? My wife is very tolerant, but I've got a whole room to myself, and don't have much out in the living room - no room for a track however. 

 

Don 

[Isaac S.]

Thanks Rick, Im sure l will take you up on that offer at some point.

[Alchemist]

Hi Rick,

 

Every time I visit here, I'm not looking at slot car builds . . . .

 

     I'm looking at "gems"!  

 

         How pulchritudinous they all are!

 

 

Thanks for sharing Rick!

 

Ernie

[dc-65x]

So far so good with the current crop of urethanes Bill, at least for me. I've had the same tires on this car for almost 10 years:
 

 

 

Don, you should see my wife's craft room! 
 
Just let me know Isaac.  
 
Thanks Ernie.  

 

I was so excited to drive this car I never finished showing all of the construction. I never pass up a chance to use ball bearings so the K&B front wheels got bored out for them:

 

 

 

 

Each wheel got a pair of ball bearings for no wobble on the axle:

 

 

In keeping with the "screwed together" theme of this car, a non drill blank front axle was drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws instead of soldering the wheel keepers in place:

 

 

Lastly, I've decided to go with the MDC silicone rear tires. They not only look good but produced the fastest lap time. But what this car really needs are what Rodney suggested, a specific part number of ProTrack foam tires on some vintage wheels and a lightly glued track. I placed this build in the late 1966 time period so foam tires would certainly be "korrect" for it. 

 

But for now it's going to stay like it is:

 

 

Time to move on to the body............

[Isaac S.]

They do look good. Can't wait to see the body. 

[dc-65x]

The body has color on it Isaac but first here are the wheel inserts from the Revell Ford GT40 model kit. The model kit wheel and stock Russkit drag wheel on the left and modified parts on the right:

 

 

 

Why are the wheels white.....................

[dc-65x]

OK, now to my personal problem of painting this beautiful Lancer J Car body. This is the way the real car looks:

 

 

I've avoided painting this body for years because I didn't think I could pull off that livery. I tried masking the body and confirmed that indeed..........I can't do that livery justice.    

 

Rather than simply passing on using the J Car again I thought why does it have to be the scale livery or nothing? I have a Lancer factory painted blue Ford GTX body that I plan on using on a project. 

 

So out came the metallic blue paint.......

 

 

.........and BAM! I have a blue J Car that, to me at least, looks as nice as the factory Lancer GTX on the left:

 

 

 

 

Next I have an idea for a "what if" livery with some decal creativity.....

[Pablo]

Delicious blue, looks like a North Pole winter sunrise 

 

For those like me who haven't yet fully understood or mastered Micro Sol/Set for outside decals, may I request a refresher tutorial please?

[Bill from NH]

"Cool Blue", I like the color. Rick, you did a nice neat  job outlining all the body panels too. That's not always easy to do either, but sometimes depends upon a body's molding.

[dc-65x]

Thanks Pablo. I'm using quite a few decals on this "fantasy livery" so I will be happy to share what works for me in my next post.

 

Bill, this Lancer body is a beauty. It is a nice crisp pull with deep panel lines. Those deep lines combined with the metallic paint tend to "self highlight" them. I wish I could take credit for those highlighted panel lines but I can't.........I'm just lucky.